Tag: trust

Being fair

FabrizioLeave a comment

A big problem with offering $85,000 for a position budgeted at $130,000 is that very soon the person to whom you are offering the position is going to find out (even if you do not tweet about the whole situation).

And when they do, two things will happen.

First, they will feel cheated, demotivated, disengaged. They won’t be able to perform at their best, because nobody does when the counterpart sees the relationship as a mere transaction.

Second, they will start spending most of their resources to be paid what it is fair for them to be paid, whether that is at the company or somewhere else.

Was the hustle worth it?

Sales and Marketing

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The leads we are getting are no good.

Sales reps do not know how to sell.

This is a common exchange in B2B. And it’s where most strategies and plans go to die.

Try changing the approach to the following.

What information might we benefit from to get better leads?

What information might we need to close more sales?

You know the saying, two pairs of eyes are better than one. Imagine two pairs of eyes, two experts, two brains, two departments focused on solving the same problem.

Goals

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Give people goals that:

  • matter for the achievement of a more generic business goal;
  • they can impact with their own actions;
  • they can easily track and report on;
  • are clearly communicated and consistent across time.

It does not end here, but this is a fantastic place to start from when managing a team.

Ask instead

FabrizioLeave a comment

Approach every conversation with intention and clarity.

You might be in it because you need something: advice, listening, a hug?

You might be in it because something is needed of you.

One way or the other, making the need explicit increases the chances of actually having a successful conversation.

The alternative is to assume that something has happened when in fact it never did. We had a fantastic chat and we are perfectly aligned now. Except you are not.

Most often, you do not have the time to figure it out. So, ask instead.

Drama

FabrizioLeave a comment

Organizations are perfect sets for dramas.

The problem is that drama is a great way to keep people busy and a poor way to keep people engaged, motivated, creative, purposeful.

While everyone is waiting for the next big reveal, no one will commit to a new idea.

While everyone is betting on which of the two executives will win the next argument, no one is listening to what customers are saying or grasping the emerging trend in the market.

While everyone is invested in wowing their managers, no one will buy into the vision and values that would make employees, shareholders, customers, and community better off.

That feeling of overwhelm, of tiredness, of pointlessness is not due to the job. It’s due to drama.

When you get rid of the spaces where drama flourishes – the hidden information, the decisions behind closed doors, the selected circles, the executive approvals, the vertical silos -, you can repurpose the resources to allow your people and your business to grow.